'Russian awards and energy profits cause amnesia': Ukraine's FM fires back at Szijjarto over Europe defense remarks
Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha sharply responded to Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó over cynical remarks about Ukraine defending Europe, Sybiha reports.
Read also: 'Forced conscription must be stopped': Hungarian FM Szijjártó backs illegal escape of Ukrainian men
"Ukraine is winning time for Europe, making sure that Russian tanks don't roll European streets, as they did in 1956 in Budapest. Apparently, Russian awards and energy profits cause amnesia," the Ukrainian minister said.
What preceded
Earlier, Szijjártó stated that Hungary considers "a big lie” statements by Ukrainian and European leaders that Ukraine is defending Europe.
The Hungarian foreign minister added that the aggressor country has not attacked any European country, and that Europe's security, he stressed, is ensured by NATO, not Ukraine.
At the same time, Szijjártó emphasized that Ukrainians are "fighting heroically," however, he noted that Russia's war against Ukraine "is not Hungary's war." He also said that Budapest does not allow the use of its taxpayers' funds to help Kyiv.
Conflict between Ukraine and Hungary
Recently, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized Ukraine's aspiration to join the European Union. He said that Budapest allegedly does not plan to support Kyiv's accession to the European Union for at least the next one hundred years.
In response, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that forces trying to weaken or undermine the European Union operate constantly, including inside Europe itself. This statement was also supported by Andrii Sybiha, who publicly criticized Orbán's statements.
In addition, Orbán previously stated that it is unclear who attacked whom in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Such a position was voiced against the background of European Union decisions on further financing of support for Ukraine.
Recently, Zelenskyy said that Orbán thinks about how to grow his belly rather than how to build up an army.
